BMW’s i3 high-capacity batteries, which it uses in its i3 compact electric vehicle, has applications beyond BMW’s own – case in point, the car maker is now supplying German boat propulsion system company Torqeedo with i3 batteries for its Deep Blue aquatic electric drive systems.

The Torqeedo systems provide motorboats with hybrid and electric propulsion ranging from 1 to 160 HP in capacity, and BMW says the adoption of its tech by the company is a testament to its ability to produce high voltage batteries for a range of applications in transport efficiency. The current version of the i3 battery has 44kWh capacity, providing 50 more charge with the same size and weight of the previous generation.

BMW designed i3 batteries to have ‘plug-and-play’ functionality, with in-house connectors, cables, sensors and temperature control systems in addition to the 12 cells found in each of the battery’s eight modules. The automaker intended from the outset to make the batteries usable in a range of different applications, including, for example, as energy storage in commercial power generation, where they can be useful even after they’ve passed their usable life in terms of powering vehicles.

A recent study found that the electric boat market would be worth $20 billion by 2027, so this is a market with huge growth potential for BMW, and Torqeedo is a partner that can help adapt their tech to a wide range of nautical applications.